Surface cattle-guard



(No Model.)

P. MERRILL. SURFACE GATT-LE GUARD.

No. 412,967. Patented 001;. 15, 1889.

In renter.

N, PETERS Phalufjfiognphu. Walhinglou. l1 C UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

PARKER MERRILL, OF ST. LOUIS, MICHIGAN.

SURFACE CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,967, dated October15, 1889.

Application filed August 12, 1889. Serial No. 320,510. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PARKER MERRILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, county of Gratiot, State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Surface Cattle- Guard, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to surface cattleguards disclosed in anotherpending application of mine dated June 22, 1889, Serial No. 315,218. Insaid application a series of rods are shown between the rails supportedabove the ties by transverse bars which are attached to the flanges ofthe rails, and a like section on the outside of each rail and attachedto the flanges of the rails. The construction in general is the same inthis application.

The particular object of the present invention is to construct the barswhich support the rack so that theywill be wide at the lower side orbase and the exterior of the sides will converge therefrom to the apex.Strength, with a comparative economy in material and more desirableattachment of parts, may be named among the advantages of thusconstructin g the transverse bars as compared with what is shown in theabove-named application. Other objects will appear in the descriptionand claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a plan5 Fig. 2, a section on line a l in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on line 8 3in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is a broken perspective of a lettered detail.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, S S are the rodsbetween and outside of the rails O C of the track. These rods areseparated from each other and have a space between them and the ties ofthe track, as in my other application above named. The sec tion betweenthe rails O and the sections outside of the rails have end bars AA,towhich the ends of the rods S are attached, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and4, the ends of the rods S being hooked into holes 6 in the bars A A. Therods S are here shown made in two parts and coupled together byturn-buckles E, so that by turning said buckles the rods S can be madeproperly tense; but rods S may be in one piece and may be attached atthe ends in any suitable manner to the bars A A. Each section of theguards has a central support ing-bar B. I prefer that the rods S shouldrest loosely upon said bar, as in said other application; but they maypass through holes in said bar B, if desired. The bars A B, as hereshown, are bent into shape from strips of boiler-iron5 but these barsmay be cast solid or otherwise formed so long as they converge from thebase to the apex. The surface of the bars, as shown, is convexly curred;but the same result of having the sides converge, as stated, can beaccomplished by mak ing them straight inclines, and hence I do not wishto confine the invention to the rounded surface here shown. The uppercorners of the bars A .13 at the sides of the rails G are cut away toclear the wheels of the cars. They are preferably slanted or chamferedoff on the under side at their ends, as at c, Fig. 4, the better to fitthe upper surface ofthe flanges of the rails O. The bars are attached tothe rails by bolts z, hacked into holes a, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and aclip-plate 'u beneath the rail, through which c1ip-plate the bolts arepassed and secured by nuts; but they may be otherwise attached to therails G, or need not be attached to the rails at all, but may befastened to the ties F. The outer ends of the bars A B of the outersections are connected by a bar D, attached to them, said bars restingon the ties, as in the above-named application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A. surface cattle -guard comprising sec tions between and outside ofthe rails of the track, said sections being composed of transverse barsbent from strips of metal, so as to have their sides converge from thebase to the apex, and separated rods in two parts connected by turnbuckles, the ends of said rods being detachably attached to thetransverse bars at the ends of the sections, substantially as set forth.

2. A surface cattle-guard comprising sections between and outside of therails of the track, said sections being composed of strips of metal bentto form the transverse bars having their sides converging from the baseto the apex, the ends of said bars contiguous to the flanges of therails by bolts attached to the sides of the bars at the end, and a clip-15 plate beneath the rails, through which said bolts pass, and separatedrods supported by said bars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name inpresence of two 20 witnesses.

PARKER MERRILL.

Witnesses:

S. 1-1. BURKE, W. L. Roor.

